What should you expect from a design quote?

What should you expect from a design quote?

What should you expect from a design quote? A design quote, like any other quote, is a formal offer written by a design studio or a freelancer that turns into a contract once it has been accepted. Therefore you should take your time to read all of the terms and conditions and understand how the company will deliver your product.

Here is a list of items that you should look for in a quote:

1. A brief description of the project and its goals

It is important that the person or agency that is quoting you for the job understands the scope of the project and its value. The quote should provide you with their understanding of the job so you can confirm that it matches what you provided.

2. A timeline for the project

Your designer or agency should provide you with an indication of how long the project should take to complete. The timeline should include meetings, revision stages and final delivery. If you have a deadline that you need to meet make sure that the timeline meets this objective. This should include the delivery of any printed materials to you.

3. Breakdown of costs

As a customer you might find it easier to understand the complexity of your project if it is described in stages, a breakdown of costs can help you understand how your money will be allocated to the different stages.

4. A list of deliverables

As a client you need to know exactly what elements will be delivered. The deliverables provide this certainty. Sometimes, the project might change through the design process, so it is important to know what is considered an ‘extra’ and how much these changes outside the initial scope might cost.

5. A list of exclusions

Your quote should tell you what services are not included in the quote. For example, proofreading is often something that freelancers do not offer due to the specific skill sets required.

6. Payment terms and conditions

You need to make sure you understand when you are required to make the payments and by what method. For example, will it be payment for milestones or will you only have to pay on completion?

7. Quote expiry date

Most quotes are only valid for 30 days from the date of preparation. Validity clauses are necessary because the cost of materials can change. If your quote exceeds 30 days check with the designer to see if they will still honour the quote.

8. Customer acceptance signature and date

The quote should include a ‘sign here’ statement to formalise the agreement between you and your designer or agency and the date signed.

In conclusion

In conclusion, a detailed and well-written quote is a great indication of the type of service that you can expect. It will show you what the agency understands is the goal of your project, how the agency is going to work with you to develop your project and how structured or flexible they will be. It should give you enough confidence that the agency has listened to you and their quote is based on delivering your project goals.